Another newbie looking for info

[ConnieB]

Hello all - I have been reading all the helpful posts & decided to join this great group. I'm starting to look for my perfect egg and will be picking the brains of all you experienced folks for help. Right now I'm thinking of either a 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe or an Escape 17'. Anyone have any strong ideas either way? Reliability, comfort? Other things I haven't thought of?
Thanks in advance
Connie B

[Bobbie Mayer]

Welcome, Connie.

I have no experience with either but I'll tell you what I'd do if I had the choice of one or the other. I'd imagine going through daily activities, thinking about the floor plan and amenities, and see which fit my lifestyle better. If there were no strong reasons to prefer one over another, then availability would probably be the deciding factor.

You also don't say if you are looking for used or new, and how old. This may make a difference.

Bobbie

[E. Graham]

Hi, Connie,

Among the things you may want to consider are the interior height. Casita's 17' SD just allows my 6'2" husband to stand up straight when he is barefoot. The Escape, however, has a maximum interior height under 6'. It was the primary reason we didn't choose the Escape.

Another consideration, for us, was the manufacturer's location. We initially investigated the Escape because it is so much closer to where we live (northern California). If all other things are equal, you may want to compare the pick-up/delivery costs, as these add to the price.

A final reason for our choice of Casita was the company's track record, not only for service and quality but also its longevity. There are many truly excellent fiberglass trailers still on the road but not many of the original manufacturers are still in business. Because was are not, ourselves, "handy" (and haven't the time, if we were), it was important to us to buy a trailer from a company that we could continue to call for information and repair support.

While we loved the Escape layout, our requirements led us, ultimately, to the Casita.
Happy travels, whichever you choose!

E. Graham

[ConnieB]

Thank you both for your thoughts. While my roomie is a disabled veteran, and she's about 5'11" tall, I will mostly be traveling alone or with some of my dogs (I show & field trial) and being only 5' tall (on a good day ) interior height isn't an issue, except for resale (which would hopefully be many years down the road.) However longevity of the company is a good thought - I know the Escape folks are newer. I'm somewhat handy, but often time challenged, so may need reliable repair at some point.
Connie

[Brian B-P]

The Escape, however, has a maximum interior height under 6'.

I'm not questioning the spec, but it does seem strange to me, since I have walked around in Escape 17's in showrooms, with my shoes on, without being aware that I was ducking, and I'm (barely) six feet tall. Maybe the spec is for clearance under something like the roof vent, and I just went around it...

[Brian B-P]

While advertised trailer weights are always to be taken with a grain (or maybe a whole shaker) of salt, there is one weight spec which might be significant... The Casita 17' (and only that model from Casita) has an unusually high tongue weight for the size of the trailer. Depending on tow vehicle, this could be significant: in may case, I would need to use a weight-distributing hitch with my van, while with my heavier Boler I don't (and I would not need it for an Escape 17).

[Dan]

Hi Connie,

I don't own either of these myself but my wife and I had the same dilemma as you with deciding between Casita and Escape. We will be ordering one next month in hopes of a spring pick up.

I tracked down 5 different escape owners via email and telephone and asked them why they chose escape. Make sure to talk to some owners of trailers you're interested in and get their opinions. Below is a list of things that made the difference in my mind.
-Floorplan for the escape met our needs better
-Less rivets in the escape, I've read a lot about fixing rivets
-Closer to dealer (we live in Canada)
-Some folks I talked to who have had the opportunity to see both rigs said that escape had an edge in quality of workmanship but I have never seen a casita so I don't really know
-Everything I've heard and read about Reace and the Escape team has been very complimentary

One great thing about the Casita is the value. You get a great trailer for a very reasonable price. I've also heard that the people at Casita are extremely helpful as well.

In the end, I'd pick floor plan and dealer location as prime motivators since I think both products are top notch and you'll have a great time with either.

Happy trailer hunting!

Dan

[Suz]

Both trailers have advantages. My only concern (at 5'7") is the smallness and the interior height of the bathroom in the Escape because I like to stand to take my shower. Since you are 5' tall, that wouldn't be a concern for you. BTW, according to Escape's website, the overall interior height is 6' 2" (bathroom is on the side, so the height is less).